• The focus of this course is on learning about maps and seeing how the maps we use influence the decisions we make and also how the decisions we make influence the maps we create. 
• To learn about maps, a variety of software, including but not limited to GIS software, will be used to implement a term-long real-world project. All computer work is done in a PC environment. 
• The emphasis is on the geographic components, some of which include (but are not limited to) the roles of:
scale; hierarchy; transformation; distance; adjacency; absolute and relative; centrality; density; dimension; separation; diffusion.
Students may wish to keep in mind the "five themes", as well:  Location; Place; Human/Environment Interaction; Movement; Regions. One might then see how different sets of organizational concepts work with each another, often revealing interesting perspective on the issue at hand.  Thus, students will have a chance to put theory into practice.
• Students may work individually or in small groups. 
• All students are to post work, as it is done, on the website set up during the first week of class.  That way, students receive ongoing feedback on progress.

• Lecture:  discussion of geographic concepts at local, regional, and global scales. Example will be drawn from City of Ann Arbor maps, SEMCOG regional maps, U.S. Census data, and the Digital Chart of the World maps.
• Lab:  application of concepts
• Creation of maps using a computer
• Maps as part of larger projects involving a variety of other software
• Field trip to City Hall to see how community decision makers use maps

          Required:  an active U of M e-mail account 
          Required:  a website (to be built throughout the course) 
          Required:  as many Zip disks or blank CDs as needed to hold files. 
          Required:  willingness to expand IFS space if needed to hold files.

There will be a class website containing lecture notes, links to source materials on the web, citations to printed matter that might be useful, and strategies that might be of use in the lab. 

Students will be provided with a variety of computerized maps to be determined in individual consultation with the instructor (in support of their project).

Two-hour lab in which students work on projects and have an opportunity to troubleshoot projects and learn new skills specific to their own interests. 

• WHEN IN DOUBT--ASK--OVER THE E-MAIL, THE PHONE, IN OFFICE HOURS, IN CLASS, IN LAB--BUT, PLEASE, ASK! 
• Remember, the focus of this course is on implementation and concepts.  Concepts are necessary because they are what remain constant (relatively) as technology changes.  The focus of this course is not on acquisition of software skills (which is why you are told to ask when a problem arises--please do not waste time spinning your wheels!).
• This website is your "text" for the course; read it on a weekly basis and follow all the links on it.
• Feel free to suggest additions to the "text"--help to make it yours.
• Carry a blank zip disk with you at all times
• Back up your files frequently and on more than one medium (for example, on a zip disk and in your ifs space).

• http://www.umich.edu/~asalinas
• http://www.umich.edu/~ehodge
• http://www.umich.edu/~hortonk
• http://www.umich.edu/~jbores
• http://www.umich.edu/~msphilli
• http://www.umich.edu/~mtilton
• http://www.umich.edu/~rdemere
• http://www.umich.edu/~sandersk
• http://www.umich.edu/~scorte
• http://www.umich.edu/~vanerpa
• http://www.umich.edu/~cgober
• http://www.umich.edu/~ewegener
• http://www.umich.edu/~jdungan
• http://www.umich.edu/~jasondw
• http://www.umich.edu/~poitrasr
• http://www.umich.edu/~wsholler

• Listing of country areas from ArcView world map attribute table, done in Excel

• Institute of Mathematical Geography:  IMaGe--Monograph Series, Solstice, and Reprint Series, 
• Founding Director 
• Editor-in-Chief, Solstice and Monograph Series
• Community Systems Foundation, an International NGO, Director, Spatial Analysis Division; Member, Board of Trustees; Director of Intern Program; Webmaster; International Society of Spatial Sciences, Founding Director
• Other publications:
• Graph Theory and Geography:  An Interactive View EBook.    Co-Authors:  William C. Arlinghaus and Frank Harary.  New York:  John Wiley and Sons, 2002.
• Research Archive available on request to qualified requests (100+ publications).

• City of Ann Arbor, Planning Commissioner 1995-present
• Chair, 2002-present.
• Secretary, 2000-2002; 1997-1999.
• Member,  Ordinance Revisions Committee, 1995-present.
• City of Ann Arbor, Environmental Commissioner, 1999-present.
• Member, Water Quality subgroup
• Website designer
• City of Ann Arbor, Neighborhood Watch Advisory Committee.
• Past President, Bromley Homeowners Association (five years).

• Current Curriculum Vita
• Semi-Finalist, Pirelli INTERNETional Award Competition, 2002.
• Arlinghaus Enterprises
• Co-founder 
• President
• Professional website designer
• Family pages: 
• Lach family
• Arlinghaus family
• Reviewer or referee, Mathematical Reviews, The Geographical Review, Technology and Culture, Environmental Science, SIAM Journal of Optimization, and others.

• Advising of Dissertations or Masters Theses, 1992-present
• Advising of independent study students, 1991-present.

• UP402, Maps and Decisions, 2001-present
• UP405, Mapping in the Context of Project Development, 1998
• Previous courses designed for MAC requirements:  1991-present

• UP507, Geographic Information Systems, 2000-present
• NRE501/043, Geography:  Spatial Analysis, Advanced Projects, 1997-1999
• NRE530 Geography:  Spatial Analysis, Theory and Practice, 1993-1999

• NRE545, Population-Environment Dynamics, co-taught with Bill Drake, 1992-1998